


Repair

by Nununununu



Series: Comfortween 2020 [19]
Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Acceptance, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Caretaking, Comfortween 2020, Day 19, Droid Repairs & Maintenance 101, Friendship, Injury, M/M, ManDadlorian, Pre-Relationship, Rare Pairings, Robot/Human Relationships, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Trust, Wordcount: 500-1.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:34:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27099691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nununununu/pseuds/Nununununu
Summary: The child is near frantic beside Din, hand upraised in the desperation to help.Nothing happens when he tries.
Relationships: Din Djarin & Baby Yoda (The Mandalorian TV) & IG-11 (Star Wars), Din Djarin & IG-11, Din Djarin/IG-11
Series: Comfortween 2020 [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948441
Comments: 9
Kudos: 88
Collections: Comfortween 2020





	Repair

**Author's Note:**

> 19\. General Hospital  
> For the prompt _hospitalization, surgery, waiting room vigils, field medicine, medical procedures._

The child is near frantic beside Din, hand upraised in the desperation to help.

Nothing happens when he tries.

“There is no need,” Damaged components rattling inside his broken chassis, IG-11 reaches out, the movement initially jerky before determinedly smoothing out as he makes contact with that tiny hand.

He guides it carefully back down.

“It will be all right,” His voice is almost lost behind static, the distortion so much it’s near incomprehensible, and yet there is still that same gentleness there that Din couldn’t bring himself to trust for so long.

Nonetheless unconvinced by these assertions, the child moans.

“Hold still,” Strengthening his resolve, Din cautiously double checks their surroundings before angling himself in closer to the droid to better see, gathering the child onto his lap and out of reach of ruptured parts, “Tell me what to do. Enough to get you to someone who can fix you properly.”

The damage is extensive and, in honesty, he doesn’t have the first idea. But there must be something – surely. For all the strength of Beskar, he is but one man beneath it and the weight of durasteel is far from inconsiderable – slinging the droid up over his shoulders in the attempt to cart IG-11 back to the _Razor Crest_ would be inadvisable, not in the least given the probability of another attack.

Nor is Din about to let the little one risk his health trying to float the droid back to the ship or something like that.

“There is no point,” IG-11’s head swivels awkwardly towards him, successful on the third try, “You have proved yourself more than capable of caring for the child without aid. I will self-destru–”

“ _No!_ ” Din only realises quite how strong a reaction this is when the child murmurs in surprise on his knee. He softens his tone with some effort, placing a hand in apology on that small head between the lowered ears, “No. We’ve been through this before.”

And not in the child’s hearing. If he wasn’t wearing his helmet, he would glare at the droid. He frowns at him through his visor all the same.

There has to be _something_ they can do.

It was an extremely near miss back when IG-11 first placed himself in danger on their behalf. Din isn’t about to just leave him now the droid’s done so again.

“I – do not understand your determination to ensure my continued existence,” IG-11 glances down at the child, his tone baffled behind the static, “I am unnecessary.”

This time the kid gets there first.

“ _Bah!_ ” He launches forwards to smack both hands in protest on a metal leg.

“He has spoken,” A faint smile quirks Din’s mouth just a little, safe in the knowledge he can’t be seen, “Come on. We need to get out of here. If more raiders appear than last time, then –”

“The child could be in peril,” Gears shuddering, IG-11 seeks to straighten himself up from his sprawl on the ground and then pauses, “I was not originally programmed with the ability to self-repair.”

“Mmm,” The kid pokes at a twisted panel, slightly smouldering wiring visible within.

Even as he draws the little hand back away from the panel, Din thinks of Kuiil, “But you can learn.”

He’s certain of this.

“Perhaps,” IG-11 concludes after another pause in which his processors whir, “It would be in the spirit of my reprogramming to make the attempt.” His head swivels unevenly to consider that panel and then Din’s free hand. “If you were to splice some of my wiring together, it is possible I might be able to walk enough to return to the ship.”

“Talk me through it,” Only a little cautiously, Din reaches out to open that panel further so he can access the workings within. As familiar as he is with the mechanics of the _Razor Crest_ , the internal workings of a droid are not the same. And it feels – personal, somehow, in a way he can’t fully explain.

But –

“I will attempt to,” IG-11 might not be a living thing. But it is becoming undeniable that he might have developed – or could be developing – an amount of sentience, and that he is capable of making decisions and choices.

That he is choosing to trust Din.

It would be very easy to damage IG-11 permanently in this moment, after all; never mind their continued differing opinion when it comes to the possibility of self-destruct. Din should be uncomfortable. He should be horrified at the thought of an independent consciousness within that metal chassis; everything in him should rebel at the possibility that the droid might be self-aware.

But this is IG-11.

And, as Din works to do what little he can towards restoring the droid haltingly at first and then with more confidence, the child humming to himself and slowly relaxing on his lap –

It doesn’t feel wrong.


End file.
